Ridgeline roof clip

ABSTRACT

A clip device for holding a bulb in fixed relationship relative to a ridgeline of a roof. The clip device includes a front side and a back side opposite the front side, a top side and a bottom side opposite the top side, and a first side and a second side opposite the first side. Two shoulders transition into corresponding legs having at least one hook on each leg. A top portion of the clip device includes a finger portions terminating with respective clip portions at their tips. Tabs are arranged along the fingers. The legs are configured such that spreading the legs away from one another causes the finger portions to bend toward one another, and squeezing the legs together causes the finger portions to bend away from one another.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to a ridgeline roof clip, and,more specifically, to a clip for holding lights of decorative lightstrings securely to a ridgeline of a roof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Homeowners and businesses enjoy arranging decorative lights duringspecial seasons (such as Christmas) to create illuminated patterns oflight visible primarily at nighttime. One popular place to installdecorative lights is on the ridgeline or ridge of a roof structurecovering a dwelling or other housing structure. A ridgeline, in thecontext of a roof, is the apex or topmost peak of the roof, which istypically covered by tiles or shingles. One particularly appealingvisual effect is to arrange lights, such as light bulbs connectedtogether to form a light string, in a straight line on the ridgeline ofthe roof. Conventional installation and disassembly of light stringsinto and out of ridge clips used on roof ridgelines are needlesslytime-consuming and can cause damage to the string light wires and/or tothe clips themselves.

What is needed is an improved ridge clip for a roof ridgeline thatfacilitates rapid and tangle-free installation of bulbs of a variety ofdiameters and sizes, hold the bulbs in a straight and secure mannercentered on the apex of the ridgeline of the roof, include wiremanagement features to keep wires tidy, straight, and un-entangled,accommodates shingles and tiles of different dimensions, retains thebulbs securely against wind and other deleterious weather events wheninstalled but allows the bulbs to be removed rapidly and easily withoutcausing any damage to the clip or the roof shingles or tiles, amongother needs.

The present disclosure is directed to address these and other needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a clip device isdisclosed. The clip device includes: a front side and a back sideopposite the front side, a top side and a bottom side opposite the topside, and a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a bodyhaving a first shoulder, a second shoulder opposite the first shoulder,and an upper surface between the first shoulder and the second shoulder;a first leg coupled to the first shoulder and a second leg coupled tothe second shoulder; a top portion formed along the upper surface, thetop portion including a first finger portion proximate the firstshoulder and a second finger portion proximate the second shoulder, thefirst finger portion including a first clip portion at a tip of thefirst finger portion; the second finger portion including a second clipportion at a tip of the second finger portion; a first tab and a secondtab, the first tab being along the front side and projecting toward thefirst side of the clip device, the second tab being along the back sideand projecting toward the second side of the clip device; a first hookalong or at an end of the first leg angled toward the upper surface andthe second side; a second hook along or at an end of the second legangled toward the upper surface and the first side, the first leg andthe second leg being configured such that spreading the first and secondlegs away from one another causes the first and second finger portionsto bend toward one another, and squeezing the first and second legstogether causes the first and second finger portions to bend away fromone another.

The first tab can be on the first finger and the second tab can be onthe second finger. The first and second tabs can be configured tointerlock with corresponding tabs of another clip device. A width of thefirst leg can taper from the first shoulder toward the first hook suchthat the width at the first shoulder is at least 30% greater than thewidth at the first hook. A width of the second leg can taper from thesecond shoulder toward the second hook such that the width at the secondshoulder is at least 30% greater than the width at the second hook.

The first tab can include a first member extending toward the second taband terminating at a second member extending away from the front side.The first finger portion can include a first elongated slot dimensionedto receive therein a corresponding tab configured as the first tab of asecond clip device. The first member can have a surface facing towardthe back side, and the second member can have a depth dimensiondimensioned to pass through the first elongated slot of the second clipdevice.

The first finger portion can include a first elongated slot dimensionedto receive therein a corresponding tab configured as the first tab ofanother clip device. The second finger portion can include a secondelongated slot dimensioned to receive therein a corresponding tabconfigured as the second tab of another clip device.

Two or more clip devices can be clipped together by their correspondingfirst and second tabs to form a stacking arrangement in which the clipdevices are stacked at an offset corresponding to at least a thicknessof the first tab.

The first clip portion can have a sloped upper surface facing away fromthe top side and a bottom engagement surface facing toward and generallyparallel with the upper surface. The clip device can be generallymirror-image symmetrical about a central axis extending along a heightdimension of the clip device such that a gap between the first fingerportion and the second finger portion is generally centered relative tothe upper surface.

A method of instructing installation of a plurality of clip devices on aroof having a plurality of shingles or tiles arranged on a ridgeline ofthe roof is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of (a)instructing an installer to insert a bulb socket of a light stringincluding a plurality of bulbs between the first finger portion and thesecond finger portion of a first of the plurality of clip devices untilthe bulb socket is secured by the first clip portion and the second clipportion between the first finger portion and the second finger portion;(b) instructing the installer to spread the first leg and the second legaway from each other to cause the first and second clip portions to bendtoward one another to clamp the bulb socket between the first and secondfinger portions, and then installing the first clip device to straddle afirst shingle or tile of the plurality of singles or tiles on theridgeline by causing the first and second hooks to hook under respectiveends of the first shingle or tile to hold the first clip device in anupright manner on the ridgeline with a first bulb coupled to the bulbsocket pointing away from the roof; and repeating the steps (a) and (b)for each of the remaining ones of the bulb sockets of the light stringuntil a desired number of clip devices are installed on the ridgeline ofthe roof.

The method can optionally further include the step of (al) instructingthe installer to arrange wires of the light string so that they rununderneath, relative to the top side, the first tab and the second tab,wherein the repeating includes repeating the step of (al) for each ofthe remaining ones of the bulb sockets.

A method of instructing uninstallation of a plurality of clip devices ona roof having a plurality of shingles or tiles arranged on a ridgelineof the roof is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (a)instructing an installer to unhook the first and second legs of a firstclip device of the plurality of clip devices from the roof to free thefirst clip device from the roof; (b) instructing the installer tosqueeze the first leg and the second leg together to cause the first andsecond finger portions to bend away from one another until a bulb socketis released from the first clip portion and the second clip portion; andrepeating the steps (a) and (b) for each of the remaining ones of thebulb sockets of the light string until the plurality of clip devices areuninstalled from the roof.

The first finger portion of each of the plurality of clip devices caninclude a first elongated slot formed along the first finger portion,and the second finger portion of each of the plurality of clip devicescan include a second elongated slot formed along the second fingerportion. The method can further include the step of instructing theinstaller to stack at least some of the plurality of clip devicestogether for storage, responsive to removing the bulb sockets from theat least some of the plurality of clip devices, by interlockingcorresponding pairs of the first and second tabs of a given one of theplurality of clip devices into corresponding first and second elongatedslots of an other one of the plurality of clip devices that is adjacentto the given one of the plurality of clip devices.

Additional aspects of the disclosure will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of variousembodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a briefdescription of which is provided below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top isometric view of a clip device according to an aspectof the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a top portion of the clip device shown inFIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a side view (the other side being a mirror image) of the clipdevice shown in FIG. 1 without a bulb socket inserted into the topportion of the clip device.

FIG. 4A is side view of the top portion of the clip device of FIG. 1with a bulb socket and bulb inserted into the top portion and held inplace by clip devices and tabs arranged on the top portion.

FIG. 4B is a side view of the clip device of FIG. 4A with the bulbsocket installed showing a direction of spreading the legs of the clipdevice apart to secure the bulb socket in the top portion of the clipdevice.

FIG. 4C is a side view of the top portion of the clip device shown inFIG. 4B after the legs have been stretched apart and showing thecorresponding inward rotation of the fingers of the top portion grabbingonto the bulb socket to hold it securely in the clip device.

FIG. 5A is a side view of the clip device of FIG. 1 with a bulb socketinstalled showing a direction of squeezing the legs together to releasethe bulb socket from the clip device.

FIG. 5B is a side view of the clip device shown in FIG. 5A with the legssqueezed together to release the bulb socket from the top portion of theclip device.

FIG. 6A is a top isometric view of five clip devices interlockedtogether by their corresponding tabs in a stacked arrangement forstorage or packing.

FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the top portions of the clip devicesshown in FIG. 6A with the tabs interlocked to clip the clip devices toone another.

FIG. 7A is a top view of two clip devices about to be interlocked bymoving one in the direction of arrow E1.

FIG. 7B is a top view of the two clip devices shown in FIG. 7A in whichone device is slid past while in contact with the other along thedirection of arrow E1.

FIG. 7C is a top view of the two clip devices shown in FIG. 7Ainterlocked together such that one tab of each device is insertedthrough a corresponding slot of the other to form an interlocked pair.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an example ridgeline of a roof with sixclip devices installed on respective roof shingles carrying a string oflight bulbs with the wires running underneath the tabs of the clipdevices.

FIG. 9A is a side view of the top portion of a clip device with asection of PVC pipe secured on top of the tabs under the hook-like clipportions according to another installation option for use with the clipdevices.

FIG. 9B is an isometric view of an example ridgeline of a roof withthree clip devices installed on roof shingles carrying a pipe aroundwhich an LED light string is wound according to another installationoption for use with the clip devices and a pipe structure.

FIG. 10A is a top view of an alternate embodiment of the clip devicehaving a wire retention feature and a bulb holding feature arranged onfingers of the clip device.

FIG. 10B is a side view of the clip device shown in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart of an example method of installing clip devicestogether with bulb sockets on a ridgeline of a roof.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of another example method of uninstalling clipdevices hooked to a ridgeline of a roof and freeing the bulb socketstherefrom.

FIG. 13 is an isometric top right view of a roof ridgeline clip device.

FIG. 14 is an isometric bottom right view of the roof ridgeline clipdevice of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 15 is a side view of a left side of the roof ridgeline clip deviceof FIG. 13 .

FIG. 16 is a front view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 17 is a rear view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 18 is a side view of a right side of the roof ridgeline clip deviceof FIG. 13 .

FIG. 19 is a top view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 21A is a shingle clip device according to another aspect of thepresent disclosure having a V-shaped clip configured to be insertedunderneath a shingle or tile of a roof.

FIG. 21B shows the shingle clip device of FIG. 21A installed under ashingle of a roof.

While aspects of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments andconfigurations have been shown by way of example in the drawings andwill be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however,that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to theparticular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure is to coverall modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Elements and limitations that are disclosed, for example, in theAbstract, Summary, and Detailed Description sections, but not explicitlyset forth in the claims, should not be incorporated into the claims,singly, or collectively, by implication, inference, or otherwise. Forpurposes of the present detailed description, unless specificallydisclaimed, the singular includes the plural and vice versa. The word“including” means “including without limitation.” Moreover, words ofapproximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,”“approximately,” and the like, can be used herein to mean “at,” “near,”or “nearly at,” or “within 3-5% of,” or “within acceptable manufacturingtolerances,” or any logical combination thereof, for example.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an isometric view of a clip device 100 is shownaccording to an aspect of the present disclosure. In general, for easeof discussion, reference numbers first introduced in a figure will beginwith the number of that figure. Some features as indicated have beenomitted for ease of illustration. The dimensions, height, width, anddepth are used herein, and an example legend is shown in FIG. 1 et seq.,where D, H, W can approximately correspond to conventional X, Y, Z axes.The clip device 100 as shown in FIG. 1 is oriented in an uprightconfiguration relative to earth. Thus, the clip device 100 has a frontside 102 and a back side 104 opposite the front side, a top side 106 anda bottom side 108 opposite the top side, and a first side 110 and asecond side 112 opposite the first side. The terms “top” and “bottom”are relative to earth.

The clip device includes a body 120 having a first shoulder 122, asecond shoulder 124 opposite the first shoulder 122, and an uppersurface 126 between the first shoulder 122 and the second shoulder 124.An exemplary radius of a bend of the shoulder 122, 124, R1, shown inFIG. 2 , can be 1.0 inch. The clip device includes a first leg 110coupled to the first shoulder 122 and a second leg 112 coupled to thesecond shoulder 124. The clip device 100 includes a top portion 140formed along the upper surface 126. The top portion 140 includes a firstfinger portion 142 proximate the first shoulder 122 and a second fingerportion 144 proximate the second shoulder 124. The first finger portion142 includes a first clip portion 150 at a tip of the first fingerportion 142 toward the top side 106 of the clip device 100. The secondfinger portion 144 includes a second clip portion 152 at a tip of thesecond finger portion 152 toward the top side 106 of the clip device.

The clip device includes a first retention tab 160 and a secondretention tab 162. The first retention tab 160 is along the front side102 and projects toward the first side 110 of the clip device 100. Thesecond retention tab 162 is along the back side 108 and projects towardthe second side 112 of the clip device 100. The clip device 100 includesa first hook 170 along or at an end of the first leg 130 angled towardthe upper surface 126 and the second side 112. The clip device 100includes a second hook 172 along or at an end of the second leg 132angled toward the upper surface 126 and the first side 110. The firstleg 130 and the second leg 132 are configured such that spreading thefirst and second legs 130, 132 away from one another causes the firstand second finger portions 142, 144 to bend toward one another, and,conversely, squeezing the first and second legs 130, 132 together causesthe first and second finger portions 142, 144 to bend away from oneanother. These actions can be seen in more detail in FIGS. 4B, 4C, 5A,and 5B. In FIG. 4B, the legs 130, 132 are spread apart from one anotherin the directions of arrows A1, A2, which, in turn, causes the clipportions 150, 152 to pinch inwardly toward one another (see arrows B1,B2 in FIG. 4C) to retain the top of the bulb socket 210 in the clipdevice 100, as shown in FIG. 4C.

The first retention tab 160 is on the first finger 142 and the secondretention tab 162 is on the second finger 144. The first and secondretention tabs 160, 162 are configured to interlock with correspondingtabs of another clip device 100. A width D1 of the first leg 130 tapersfrom the first shoulder 122 toward the first hook 170, 174 such that thewidth, D1, at the first shoulder 122 is at least 30% or at least 35% orat least 40% greater than the width, D2, at the first hook 170, 174.Correspondingly, a width, D1, of the second leg 132 tapers from thesecond shoulder 124 toward the second hook 172, 176 such that the widthD1 at the second shoulder 124 is at least 30% or at least 35% or atleast 40% greater than the width, D1, at the second hook 172, 176. Forexample, D1 can be 0.38 inches, and D2 can be 0.22 inches, and the legs130, 132 taper so that they narrow from the shoulders 122, 124 towardthe most distal hooks 170, 172 at the bottom side 108.

The first retention tab 160 includes a first member 220 extending towardthe second retention tab 162 or toward the second finger 144 andterminating at a second member 222 (see FIG. 2 ) extending away from thefront side 102. The second retention tab 162 includes a second member230 extending toward the first retention tab 160 or toward the firstfinger 142 and terminating at a second member 228 (see FIG. 2 )extending away from the back side 104 of the clip device 100.

The first finger portion 142 includes a first elongated slot 202 (bestseen in FIG. 2 ) dimensioned to receive therein a corresponding tabconfigured as the first tab 142 of a second clip device 100. The firstmember 220 has a surface 224 facing toward the back side 108, and thesecond member 222 has a depth, D3, dimensioned to pass through the firstelongated slot 202 of an adjacent clip device 100 when stacked together.

The first finger portion 142 includes a first elongated slot 202 (FIG. 2) dimensioned to receive therein a corresponding tab configured as thefirst retention tab 160 of another clip device like the clip device 100shown in FIG. 1 , and the second finger portion 162 includes a secondelongated slot 204 (FIG. 2 ) dimensioned to receive therein acorresponding tab configured as the second retention tab 162 of anotherclip device like the clip device 100 shown in FIG. 1 . An example widthor distance, D4 (FIG. 2 ), of the elongated slot 202, 204 is 0.19inches, which is equal to the depth, D3 (FIG. 2 ), of the second member222, 228 of the retention tabs 160, 162. The dimension, D3, can beslightly larger than D4

Adjacent clip devices, each like the clip device 100 shown in FIG. 1 ,can be clipped together by their corresponding first and secondretention tabs 160, 162 to form an interlocking stacking arrangement inwhich the clip devices 100 a-e (shown in FIG. 6A) are stacked at anoffset corresponding to at least a thickness, D3, of the first retentiontab 160 (see FIG. 6B). Each clip device, e.g., 100 a, is slightly offsetfrom the immediately adjacent clip device, e.g., 100 b, by a distance,W7, seen in FIG. 3 , such that the total width of the stacked assemblyof clip devices 100 a,b,c,d,e, seen in FIG. 6A, corresponds to adimension W6 corresponding to W7 (FIG. 3 ) multiplied by the number ofclip devices 100 a-e. In one example, the offset distance, W7, is about0.12 inches. Thus, when five clip devices 100 are stacked together asshown in FIG. 6A, W6 increases the overall width by 0.12 inches×5=0.6inches. This allows multiple clip devices 100 a-e when not being used tobe stacked in a compact assembly in a neat and organized manner withouthaving the legs and hooks intertwine, creating a tangled mess that wouldbe difficult to singulate all the clip devices from one another.Conventional clips are typically stored in a bag, but the legs and hooksand other grabbing surfaces tend to become discombobulated andintertwined together. The present disclosure avoids this scenario. Theretention tabs 160, 162 have another purpose, which is to retain a bulbsocket 410 (see FIG. 4 ) securely between the fingers 142, 144, so thatthe bulb socket 410 does not tilt or fall out of the clip device 100.

The first clip portion 150 has a sloped upper surface 214 (FIG. 2 )facing away from the top side 106 and a bottom engagement surface 210(FIG. 2 ) facing toward and generally parallel with the upper surface126. The clip device 100 is generally mirror-image symmetrical about acentral axis A_(H) (FIG. 3 ) extending along a height dimension, H, ofthe clip device 100 such that a gap 302 (FIG. 3 ) between the firstfinger portion 130 and the second finger portion 132 is generallycentered relative to the upper surface 126. This means that when a bulbsocket 410 is installed into a clip device 100, the light bulb 400coupled to the bulb socket 410 will be centered along the ridgeline 800of the roof 820 (FIG. 8 ), creating a uniform and aligned appearancewhen multiple bulbs 410 are attached by corresponding clip devices 100a-f on the ridgeline 800. When the bulbs 400 are turned on, they allhave a consistent orientation toward the sky, are spaced apart atregular distances slack in the wires, creating an organized, neatappearance. Even in inclement weather, such as in the presence of highwinds or a snowstorm, the bulbs and sockets 400, 410 will remainsecurely in the clip device 100 and will not tilt or fall over or out ofthe retention tabs 160, 162. The elongated slots 202, 204 also provideless drag or resistance to wind, allowing wind, no matter whichdirection it blows, opportunities to pass through or around the clipdevice 100 and bulb/socket 400, 410, further reducing the chance of thebulb socket 410 becoming dislodged from or tilting out of the grasp ofthe finger portions 142, 144, in cooperation with the bottom engagementsurfaces 210, 212 of the clip portions 150, 152 and the retention tabs160, 162. A minimum of only two finger portions 142, 144 are needed toretain a bulb socket 410 securely within the clip device 100 withoutrisk of falling out or over even in the presence of inclement weathersuch as high winds or rain/snow.

The gap 302 (FIG. 3 ) is dimensioned to accommodate a C7 and C9 bulbdiameter. For example, the width, W1, of the gap 302 can be 0.81 inches,which can accommodate both C7 and C9-type bulb sockets. Each of thefinger portions 142, 144 has a height, H1, that is at least as tall as aC7/C9 bulb socket. For example, H1 can be 1.56 inches, but the height upto the bottom engagement surfaces 210, 212 (FIG. 3 ) can be 1.43 inches,which is slightly taller than a height of a standard C7/C9 bulb socket.

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , the retention tabs 160, 162 are positionedrelative to the finger portions 142, 144 at a distance (H2) below thebottom engagement surfaces 210, 212 of the clip portions 150, 152. Inthis example, H2 is 0.625 inches, which, as can be seen in FIG. 9B,allows a 0.5″ diameter pipe 900 to be retained above the retention tabs160, 162, best seen in FIG. 9A. The clip portions 150, 152 also operateto retain the upper surface of the pipe 900, which can run along theridgeline 800 held securely above the ridgeline 800 by clip devices 100a,b,c, as shown in FIG. 9B. The bottom area of the pipe 900 rests on theretention tabs 160, 162 as shown in FIG. 9A. Using a pipe 900, such as a½″ PVC pipe is another popular way of mounting smaller string lights,such as LED or micro LED lights to a ridgeline. The clip devices 100herein can be used, together with a pipe 900 or equivalent structure, tomount an LED or micro LED string of lights along the pipe 900, which isheld above the ridgeline by multiple clip devices, such as the clipdevices 100 a,b,c. The wires of the LED strings can be wound around thepipe and secured by zip ties 904, such as shown in FIG. 9A. The bulbs902 of the LED strings will be oriented in an upright manner toward thesky when installed on a ridgeline, which will create a uniform and neatappearance on the ridgeline. Some conventional clips produce anappearance of bulbs that are askew from one another, have a haphazard orinconsistent orientation from one bulb to the next, or do not allow themto be oriented toward the sky, but rather parallel to earth.

The flexible legs 130, 132 are mechanically coupled to the fingerportions 142, 144 so that the opposite finger portion 144, 142 moves ina direction away from a direction of movement of the flexible leg 130,132. As discussed above in connection with FIGS. 4B and 4C, spreadingthe legs 130, 132 apart (arrows A1, A2) causes the clip portions 150,152 to rotate inwardly toward one another (arrows B1, B2). As long asthe legs 130, 132 are spread wide enough to keep tension on thecorresponding finger portions 142, 144, the bulb socket 410 will remainsecurely in the clip device 100. However, releasing the bulb socket 410from the clip device 100 can be accomplished easily and quickly bysimply squeezing the legs 130, 132 together in the direction of arrowsC1, C2 shown in FIG. 5A. By urging the legs 130, 132 toward one another,the finger portions 142, 144 start rotating away from each other, asshown by the arrows D1, D2 in FIG. 5B. Once the clip portions 150, 152are clear of the housing of the bulb socket 410, the entire bulbassembly 400, 410 can be freely removed from the clip device 100,without getting snagged or caught along the way. Even the wires (notshown for ease of illustrations), will easily clear the tabs 160, 162 bysqueezing the legs together 130, 132. In fact, if the entire clip device100 is held upside down, gravity will simply allow the bulb assembly400, 410 to fall away from the clip device 100 together with its wires.The installer can grab a number of clip devices 100, squeeze therespective legs together, and release a number of bulbs simultaneouslyusing this method. The starting width, W4, shown in FIG. 4B, reduces toa smaller width, W3, shown in FIG. 4C; whereas in FIG. 5A, the startingwidth W4 increases to a larger width W5 shown in FIG. 5B that is widerthan a width of the bulb socket 410. Because the bulb assembly 400, 410can be released vertically away from the clip device 100, the retainingclips 160, 162 will not pose any impediment to the release path of thebulb assembly 400, 410 including its wires 830 (see FIG. 8 ). The clipdevice 100 can be composed of a plastic or metal or any other materialthat allows the legs 130, 132 and fingers 142, 144 to flex.

The tabs 160, 162 serve another purpose, which is to act as retainingclips to secure adjacent pairs of clip devices 100 together, such asshown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 7A-7C. To secure one clip device 100 toanother clip device 100 or multiple clip devices 100, the two clipdevices 100 a, 100 b are offset from one another as shown in the topcross-sectional view of FIG. 7A. The clip device 100 b is brought towardclip device 100 a in the direction of E1, and then the clip devices 100a, 100 b are slid past one another (e.g., in the direction of arrow E2in FIG. 7B) until the tabs interlock as shown in FIG. 7C. In thisexample, the retention tab 162 b of the clip device 100 b slides throughthe elongated slot 204 of the clip device 100 a, and the retention tab160 a of the clip device 100 a slides through the elongated slot 202 ofthe clip device 100 b. Thus, one tab of each clip device is insertedthrough a corresponding elongated slot of the adjacent clip device, andvice versa.

The clip device 100 can include optional wire management and bulbholding features, such as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. For ease ofillustration and discussion, the clip device 100 shown in FIGS. 10A and10B include both features, but one or both of these features can beincorporated into any of the clip devices disclosed herein. The clipdevice 100 includes a wire management feature 1020, which in thisexample is shown as having a C-shape, to retain wires 1012 of a lightstring connected to bulbs retained by the clip device 100. A top view ofthis arrangement can be seen in FIG. 10A. Likewise, or alternately, theclip device can include a bulb holding feature 1010, configured to holda small bulb socket therein. The wires 1002 from the light stringpowering the bulbs 1000 run underneath the bulb holding feature 1010,which also has a C-shaped profile to allow the bulb socket 1010 to besnapped in and out of the feature 1010. For example, this feature 1010would allow the installation of an LED string without the pipe 900 shownin FIG. 9B. The wire management feature 1020 can also be used to take upslack in the wires 1012 of a bulb light string and to ensure that thewires 1012 do not catch on the tabs 160, 162.

The present disclosure relates to methods of installing and instructinginstallers to install clip devices on a roof. An example flowchart of amethod 1100 is shown in FIG. 11 . The method 1100 includes instructingan installer to carry out the following steps. The installer isinstructed to insert a bulb socket 410 of a light string between thefirst finger portion 142 and the second finger portion 144 of a clipdevice 100 until the bulb socket 410 is secured by the first clipportion 150 and the second clip portion 152 between the first fingerportion 142 and the second finger portion 144 (see FIG. 4B) (1102). Theinstaller is instructed to spread the first leg 130 and the second leg132 away from each other to cause the first and second clip portions150, 152 to bend toward one another to clamp the bulb socket 410 betweenthe first and second finger portions 142, 144. Then, the installer isinstructed to install the first clip device 1100 to straddle a shingleor tile on the ridgeline 800 by causing the first hook 170, 172 and thesecond hook 174, 176 to hook under respective ends of the first shingleor tile (e.g., 802) to hold the clip device 100 in an upright manner onthe ridgeline 800 with a first bulb 400 coupled to the bulb socket 410pointing away from the roof (e.g., toward the sky) (1104). Optionally,the installer can be instructed to arrange wires 830 of the light stringso that they run underneath, relative to the top side 106, the first tab160 and the second tab 162 (1106). If there are more bulb sockets 400 toinstall in clip devices 100 (1108), steps 1102 and 1104 and optionally1106 are performed until a desired number of clip devices 100 areinstalled on the ridgeline 800 of the roof (1108). The two differentlocations of the hooks on the legs 130, 132 of the clip device 100accommodate different shingle sizes, such as 10″ shingle and a 12″shingle. This way, the same clip device 100 can be used to hook ontoshingles of different sizes. Although two sets of hooks 170, 172 and174, 176 are shown in FIG. 1 , additional sets of hooks can be added toaccommodate different sizes of shingles, e.g., shingles of a metricsize. The lengths of the legs 130, 132 can be extended or shortened toaccommodate hook spacing for different shingle or tile dimensions. Inaddition, the angle of each hook 170, 172, 174, 176 can be adjusted tocreate a more or less aggressive retention of the shingle or tile. InFIG. 1 , the angle of the first hook 170 relative to the first leg 130is 70 degrees, and the angle of the hook 174 relative to the leg 130 is55 degrees. The skilled person will understand that these angles can beadjusted based on the stance of the leg, the thickness of the shingle ortile, and so forth.

To remove or uninstall the clip devices 100 from a ridgeline 800 and thebulb sockets 410 from the clip devices 100, an example method 1200instructs an installer to carry out the following steps. The installeris instructed to unhook the first leg 170, 174 and the second leg 172,176 of the clip device 100 being removed from the roof 800 to free ittherefrom (1202). The installer is instructed to squeeze the first leg170, 174 and the second leg 172, 176 together to cause the first andsecond finger portions 142, 144 to bend away from one another until thebulb socket 410 is released from the first clip portion 150 and thesecond clip portion 152 (1204). If there are more clip devices and bulbsockets to be uninstalled, the method 1200 repeats steps 1202 and 1204until all of the clip devices (e.g., 100 a-f in FIG. 8 ) are uninstalledfrom the roof and all bulb sockets 410 are removed from thecorresponding clip devices 100 a-f. It should be well understood thatwhile only 8 clip devices are shown in FIG. 8 as an example, more orfewer clip devices can be installed depending on the length of theridgeline or the desired number of light bulbs to install. For example,only a few clip devices would be sufficient to add bulbs to the roofridgeline of a dog house, but many, e.g., over 20 or over 30 would beneeded to extend across an entire roof ridgeline of a residential house.

The method 1200 can optionally include instructing the installer tostack the clip devices 100 together for storage. To do so, the installeris instructed to interlock corresponding pairs of the first and secondtabs 160, 162 of a given one of the clip devices (e.g., 100 a) (see FIG.6A or 6B) into corresponding first and second elongated slots 202, 204of an other clip device (e.g., 100 b) that is adjacent to the clipdevice 100 a. While the overall width of the stacked clips increasesslightly, there is no theoretical limit to the number of clip devices100 that can be stacked together in this manner except for storage orpacking requirements.

FIG. 21A is an isometric top view of a shingle clip device 2100according to another aspect of the present disclosure. Unlike the clipdevice 100 shown and described above, the shingle clip device 2100 lacksextending legs but rather has a V-shaped clip 2102 extending away froman upper surface 2126 of the clip device 2100. The clip device 2100includes two finger portions 2142, 2144 just like the finger portions142, 142 described above in connection with the clip device 100. Thefinger portions 2142, 2144 include tabs 2160, 2162 just like the tabs160, 162 shown and described in connection with the clip device 100.Optional elongated slots 2202, 2204 are also incorporated into thefinger portions 2142, 1244. The V-shaped clip 2102 can be angledrelative to the upper surface 2126 by angle α as shown in FIG. 21A. Inthis example, the angle α is 180 degrees, but as can be seen in FIG.21B, this angle can be reduced to accommodate a roof pitch of the roof(e.g., 4/12 to 9/12) where the clip device 2100 is installed. This angleα can be adjusted by the installer after installing the clip device 2100under a shingle 2500, as shown in FIG. 4B, to orient the bulb 400 towardthe sky and orthogonal to earth. The bulb socket 410 is held between thefingers 2142, 2144 of the clip device 2100 between the tabs 2160, 2162and the clip portions 2150, 2152 just like in the clip device 100disclosed above.

The example dimensions given herein produce a clip device that canaccommodate C7 and C9 bulbs and can be installed on 10″ or 12″ shingles.The dimensions herein are examples only, and the skilled person willunderstand, from the guidance given in the present disclosure, thatdifferent dimensions can be used to accommodate different bulb sizes anddifferent shingle dimensions. For example, in installations that usemetric values instead of English or imperial values, the dimensions canbe readily adjusted using English-to-metric conversion factors.

An ornamental roof ridgeline clip device design is also disclosed.Alternately, the device can be called a roof clip, or a ridge clip, or aclip for a ridgeline, or a clip for a roof. As will be understood bythose skilled in the art, there are a variety of ways to implement thefunctional features described herein without losing their function. Theinventor has chosen a particular aesthetic design for the clip device,which is mirror-image symmetrical about its central axis and willenhance without detracting from the overall aesthetic when installed ona ridgeline of a roof. The idea was to design a clip that will not takeaway from the aesthetic of the roof, and that will be nearly invisibleat nighttime. In one example, the clips can be black in color, or theycan match the color of shingles (e.g., gray) or tiles (e.g., orange) ofa roof to blend in during the daytime. The clip devices when installedalong the entire length of a ridgeline can resemble ornamental roofcresting.

FIG. 13 is an isometric top right view of a roof ridgeline clip device,showing my new design.

FIG. 14 is an isometric bottom right view of the roof ridgeline clipdevice of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 15 is a side view of a left side of the roof ridgeline clip deviceof FIG. 13 .

FIG. 16 is a front view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 17 is a rear view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 18 is a side view of a right side of the roof ridgeline clip deviceof FIG. 13 .

FIG. 19 is a top view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

FIG. 20 is a bottom view of the roof ridgeline clip device of FIG. 13 .

Although the disclosed embodiments have been illustrated and describedwith respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations andmodifications will occur or be known to others skilled in the art uponthe reading and understanding of this specification and the annexeddrawings. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention mayhave been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations,such feature may be combined with one or more other features of theother implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any givenor particular application.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not limitation. Numerous changes to the disclosedembodiments can be made in accordance with the disclosure herein,without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, thebreadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by anyof the above described embodiments. Rather, the scope of the inventionshould be defined in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A clip device, comprising: a front side and aback side opposite the front side, a top side and a bottom side oppositethe top side, and a first side and a second side opposite the firstside; a body having a first shoulder, a second shoulder opposite thefirst shoulder, and an upper surface between the first shoulder and thesecond shoulder; a first leg coupled to the first shoulder and a secondleg coupled to the second shoulder; a top portion formed along the uppersurface, the top portion including a first finger portion proximate thefirst shoulder and a second finger portion proximate the secondshoulder, the first finger portion including a first clip portion at atip of the first finger portion; the second finger portion including asecond clip portion at a tip of the second finger portion; a first taband a second tab, the first tab being along the front side andprojecting toward the first side of the clip device, the second tabbeing along the back side and projecting toward the second side of theclip device; a first hook along or at an end of the first leg angledtoward the upper surface and the second side; a second hook along or atan end of the second leg angled toward the upper surface and the firstside, the first leg and the second leg being configured such thatspreading the first and second legs away from one another causes thefirst and second finger portions to bend toward one another, andsqueezing the first and second legs together causes the first and secondfinger portions to bend away from one another.
 2. The clip device ofclaim 1, wherein the first tab is on the first finger and the second tabis on the second finger, the first and second tabs being configured tointerlock with corresponding tabs of another clip device according toclaim
 1. 3. The clip device of claim 1, wherein a width of the first legtapers from the first shoulder toward the first hook such that the widthat the first shoulder is at least 30% greater than the width at thefirst hook, and wherein a width of the second leg tapers from the secondshoulder toward the second hook such that the width at the secondshoulder is at least 30% greater than the width at the second hook. 4.The clip device of claim 1, wherein the first tab includes a firstmember extending toward the second tab and terminating at a secondmember extending away from the front side.
 5. The clip device of claim4, wherein the first finger portion includes a first elongated slotdimensioned to receive therein a corresponding tab configured as thefirst tab of a second clip device according to claim 1, wherein thefirst member has a surface facing toward the back side, and the secondmember has a depth dimension dimensioned to pass through the firstelongated slot of the second clip device.
 6. The clip device of claim 1,wherein the first finger portion includes a first elongated slotdimensioned to receive therein a corresponding tab configured as thefirst tab of another clip device according to claim 1, and wherein thesecond finger portion includes a second elongated slot dimensioned toreceive therein a corresponding tab configured as the second tab ofanother clip device according to claim
 1. 7. The clip device of claim 5,in combination with a second clip device according to claim 1, whereinthe clip device and the second clip device are clipped together by theircorresponding first and second tabs to form a stacking arrangement inwhich the clip device and the second clip device are stacked at anoffset corresponding to at least a thickness of the first tab.
 8. Theclip device of claim 1, wherein the first clip portion has a slopedupper surface facing away from the top side and a bottom engagementsurface facing toward and generally parallel with the upper surface. 9.The clip device of claim 1, wherein the clip device is generallymirror-image symmetrical about a central axis extending along a heightdimension of the clip device such that a gap between the first fingerportion and the second finger portion is generally centered relative tothe upper surface.
 10. A plurality of clip devices, wherein each of theclip devices corresponds to the clip device according to claim
 1. 11. Amethod of instructing installation of a plurality of clip devices on aroof having a plurality of shingles or tiles arranged on a ridgeline ofthe roof, wherein each of the clip devices corresponds to the clipdevice according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: (a)instructing an installer to insert a bulb socket of a light stringincluding a plurality of bulbs between the first finger portion and thesecond finger portion of a first of the plurality of clip devices untilthe bulb socket is secured by the first clip portion and the second clipportion between the first finger portion and the second finger portion;(b) instructing the installer to spread the first leg and the second legaway from each other to cause the first and second clip portions to bendtoward one another to clamp the bulb socket between the first and secondfinger portions, and then installing the first clip device to straddle afirst shingle or tile of the plurality of singles or tiles on theridgeline by causing the first and second hooks to hook under respectiveends of the first shingle or tile to hold the first clip device in anupright manner on the ridgeline with a first bulb coupled to the bulbsocket pointing away from the roof; and repeating the steps (a) and (b)for each of the remaining ones of the bulb sockets of the light stringuntil a desired number of clip devices are installed on the ridgeline ofthe roof.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of(al) instructing the installer to arrange wires of the light string sothat they run underneath, relative to the top side, the first tab andthe second tab, wherein the repeating includes repeating the step of(al) for each of the remaining ones of the bulb sockets.
 13. A method ofinstructing uninstallation of a plurality of clip devices on a roofhaving a plurality of shingles or tiles arranged on a ridgeline of theroof, wherein each of the clip devices corresponds to the clip deviceaccording to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: (a)instructing an installer to unhook the first and second legs of a firstclip device of the plurality of clip devices from the roof to free thefirst clip device from the roof; (b) instructing the installer tosqueeze the first leg and the second leg together to cause the first andsecond finger portions to bend away from one another until a bulb socketis released from the first clip portion and the second clip portion; andrepeating the steps (a) and (b) for each of the remaining ones of thebulb sockets of the light string until the plurality of clip devices areuninstalled from the roof.
 14. The method of claim 13, the first fingerportion of each of the plurality of clip devices including a firstelongated slot formed along the first finger portion, and the secondfinger portion of each of the plurality of clip devices including asecond elongated slot formed along the second finger portion, the methodfurther comprising the step of instructing the installer to stack atleast some of the plurality of clip devices together for storage,responsive to removing the bulb sockets from the at least some of theplurality of clip devices, by interlocking corresponding pairs of thefirst and second tabs of a given one of the plurality of clip devicesinto corresponding first and second elongated slots of an other one ofthe plurality of clip devices that is adjacent to the given one of theplurality of clip devices.
 15. The ornamental design for a roofridgeline clip device, as shown and described.